


No Losses Today

by Love_Me_Some_Grayson



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, I'm So Soft For These Two, M/M, Major Character Injury, Multi, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 09:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13900839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_Me_Some_Grayson/pseuds/Love_Me_Some_Grayson





	No Losses Today

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BromanceVortex](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=BromanceVortex).



It's not fair. It's not fair that the leader should be the priority--what's so  _special_ about the colour red, anyway?  _Nothing_ , that's what. Because there was so much red seeping from the fabric of Zack's suit when it  _shouldn't be_ , because Zack is sweet and kind and absolutely insane, but so,  _so_ lovable and  _please don't take Zack away, too_. Losing-- _almost_ losing Billy was bad enough, but for the love of God, don't make him lose anyone else.

It hadn't been anything big; nothing to keep their guard up about. It was a blip on a radar that Zoron had--yeah, Jason hadn't really been paying attention to if it was actually a radar or not--that there may be a similar threat to Rita. None of them had been worried, and Trini had even requested to stay back and finish some history homework.

 _Homework_! Trini hates doing work!

But, and it came as not even close to a shock, Zordon made them all go. They suited up, they begrudgingly left the ship--and they had left Kimberly's  _soft soft_ bed for the ship, so they were groggy and cuddle-deprived--and went to go check out the event on a map. They got there, in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by trees and--

Well, in Jason's defence, "get ambushed by unseen forces" was  _not_ on the to-do list for the day. He hadn't been mortally injured, just knocked to the ground and winded.

"Red!" a voice called, but he wasn't paying attention to who.

"Save us all the effort and just show yourself!" Jason called. He was met with cackling, and a knife thrown to his chest.

Jason wasn't expecting the Black Ranger to step between him and the knife, and he most certainly wasn't expecting to have to deal with the emotional trauma that would ensue. He made a point to block everything else out; the louder cackling, cries and screams from the Blue, Pink, and Yellow Rangers. He only let himself be attuned to the pained gasp that squeezed itself out of Zack's lips, and it was that tiny noise that sent him into a panic.

The ground below him Zack shouldn't be that ugly crimson colour; it should stay the deep chocolate brown of the soil and the fallen leaves from too many children running around when they aren't supposed to be. His uniform shouldn't be black with the faintest hint of red, it should be the black of his eyes and hair that are both so  _soft_.

He can't tell if he screams or not, completely lost in the feelings of  _nonononodon'tleaveZackstayherewithuspleasedon'tleavenonodon'tleaveplease--_

Jason goes numb when someone picks Zack up from his arms, and he almost screams and yells and hits them, but it's Billy; soft, nerdy Billy who always just wants to help, and Jason really doesn't think Billy would deserve a sock to the nose when he's trying to save Zack's life.

So he sits there, oblivious to Trini and Kimberly trying to hunt down the source of that  _obnoxious_ cackling. They come to get him, soon after and empty handed, but he doesn't let his mind drift away from the bleeding boy in his arms; is this what their lives have come to? Throwing themselves in front of their teammates in hopes that they're the only one to be injured? Putting your life on the line over and over, even though it may not even keep the people you love and the people you're supposed to protect safe? Watching the spark that made your teammate the person they are slowly run from their eyes, and--

"Jason snap  _out of it_." Kimberly was gripping his arms with an iron grip, but no, he wasn't listening. His thoughts only ran back to all of his times with Zack.

When Zack would run up to him, phone in hand, and going on and on about a new fan blog that popped up dedicated to them; no one had to know that they would spend hours giggling at those blogs instead of doing their homework that was, sadly, due in the next five hours. Or when Zack would toss him a smirk before pinning him to the ground and pressing kisses with that  _blasted_ smile still playing on his lips, and he'd go lower and lower and--

Let's just say Jason never got any more adventurous than he did with Zack.

And now he may just lose that little fire in his life because of a knife from a random kid who wanted to reek some havoc.

o.O.o

Jason paced back and forth, up and down the hallways of the hospital, and screw you, nurse giving him the glare from behind her monitor, he was worried about his boyfriend who might die on a cold slab of metal, being poked and prodded my more tiny, cold metal things; all to fix a wound dealt by sharp, cold metal.

There was too much metal in contact with his precious darling for a lifetime; and that damned second hand on the clock wasn't moving  _fast enough_ , and even though Jason knew he wasn't a Kronos, he could still glare at the clock until it moved to his will. It didn't move, but Jason likes to think he made a difference in a situation he really had no control over.

He became so lost in the endless sea of his thoughts, that he hadn't registered the presence of the doctor until she was tapping his shoulder.

"Mr. Taylor is out of surgery, and there are no problems to be of note so far," she said, and if that wasn't the best thing Jason has  _ever heard_. "He is unconscious at the moment, but you're more than welcome to go see hi--" He didn't stick around to hear the rest of her sentence, because he was bolting down the hallway. His eyes flicked from room to room, until he saw Zack in one of the beds.

He looked  _awful_ , but so oddly...  _at peace_. Is that what they've come to? Having to look death in its cold eyes to get an idea of what a peaceful like could be like? Jason had never thought of it before, but that's what it looks like. He immediately grabbed a chair from the corner and put it as close to the bed as he could.

"God, when you wake up I'm going to  _kick your ass_." It came out before he could stop it, and he smacks his hand against his forehead for it. Smooth, Scott,  _so smooth_. "I mean... gah, you know what I mean. You almost got yourself killed to protect me, Zack, and I can't let that happen. Did you even  _think_ about how I would've coped if you  _had_ died? Because I don't think you realize the consequences of that; I'm already emotionally unstable, and this would've thrown me off the edge. Your ghost would've had to deal with my trauma. Know that." He stopped his rambling to regain his thoughts. "I can't lose you Zack. I just...  _can't_. Don't make me go through that again."

"I didn't," a raspy voice hissed out, and  _holy shit, he's up_.

"Zack..." Jason whispered.

"I wasn't thinking," Zack continued, as if Jason hadn't even opened his mouth, "because my body reacted before my mind could; keeping you safe is my priority, apparently."

"Zack--"

"And I'd do it again, if I had to."

"Zack, god, shut up." Jason's voice cracked, and he shifted closer so he could let his head rest on Zack's shoulder. "I'm putting you on probation as you leader; you're to be on break for two weeks after you're discharged. And don't even think about sneaking into the ship. I'll sic your mom on you."

"You wouldn't  _dare_."

"Oh, watch me." Jason raised his head, feeling a tidal wave of emotions over come him at the easy smile dancing on Zack's lips--he almost  _lost_ that smile just a few hours ago. "I love you."

"I love you too; and now I have a scar to prove it." Jason flicked the other's forehead, giving him his most unimpressed glare. "I meant it though, you know. I'd do whatever I had to if it meant letting you get away safely."

"You're too self-destructive."

"You could see it like that, if you want, but I know that this feeling, right here," Zack pointed to his heart, "is enough to keep me fighting to come back to you."

Jason couldn't help it--he knew "kissing your boyfriend" wasn't on the list of good manners, but goddammit, he loves the boy in front of him so much and it's so weird, because he still wants to be mad at Zack for throwing caution to the wind like that. He can't though. 

Zack may be crazy and weird and a little on the "get him some help" side, but he's lovable and has so much love to give around, that you can't help but be enraptured with him. And after that, you've lost yourself in those soft black eyes and you can't find your way out--you don't  _want_ to find your way out.

So, Jason will chew him out a little more later, and he'll make sure that on future missions the team knows that they're all an equal priority, but for now, resting with Zack until the rest of the team comes back seems like heaven.


End file.
